Application of Safety Protocols for International Cleft Outreach Programs During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Global Smile Foundation Precaution Guidelines and Implications

2021 ◽  
pp. 105566562110664
Author(s):  
Omar S. Al Abyad ◽  
Beyhan Annan ◽  
Antonio Melhem ◽  
Elsa M. Chahine ◽  
Elie P. Ramly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cleft Lip ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Alveolar Bone ◽  
World Health ◽  
Outreach Program ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Intraoperative Care ◽  
Outreach Programs ◽  
Alveolar Bone Grafting

Background Since COVID-19 was declared a worldwide pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March of 2020, foundation-based cleft outreach programs to Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) were halted considering global public health challenges, scarcity of capacity and resources, and travel restrictions. This led to an increase in the backlog of untreated patients with cleft lip and/or palate, with new challenges to providing comprehensive care in those regions. Resumption of international outreach programs requires an updated course of action to incorporate necessary safety measures in the face of the ongoing pandemic. In this manuscript, the authors outline safety protocols, guidelines, and recommendations implemented in Global Smile Foundation's (GSF) most recent outreach trip to Beirut, Lebanon. Methods COVID-19 safety protocols for outreach cleft care and an Action Response Plan were developed by the GSF team based on the published literature and recommendations from leading international organizations. Results GSF conducted a 1-week surgical outreach program in Beirut, Lebanon, performing 13 primary cleft lip repairs, 7 cleft palate repairs, and 1 alveolar bone grafting procedure. Safety protocols were implemented at all stages of the outreach program, including patient preselection and education, hospital admission and screening, intraoperative care, and postoperative monitoring and follow-up. Conclusions Organizing outreach programs in the setting of infectious diseases outbreaks should prioritize the safety and welfare of patients and team members within the program's local community. The COVID-19 protocols and guidelines described may represent a reproducible framework for planning future similar outreach initiatives in high-risk conditions.

Mind the Gap: Alveolar Bone Graft Revision in the Era of Computed Tomography

2021 ◽  
pp. 105566562110026
Author(s):  
Ema Zubovic ◽  
Gary B. Skolnick ◽  
Abdullah M. Said ◽  
Richard J. Nissen ◽  
Alison K. Snyder-Warwick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Computed Tomography ◽  
Bone Grafting ◽  
Cleft Lip ◽  
Cleft Lip And Palate ◽  
Alveolar Bone ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Radiographic Examination ◽  
Graft Take ◽  
Alveolar Bone Grafting ◽  
Ct Evaluation

Objective: To determine the rate of revision alveolar bone grafting (ABG) in patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP) before and after the introduction of postoperative computed tomography (CT). Design: Retrospective case–control study analyzing the incidence of revision ABG in patients with and without postoperative CT scans for graft success evaluation. Setting: Academic tertiary care pediatric hospital. Patients: Eighty-seven patients with CLP or cleft lip and alveolus treated with autologous iliac crest bone grafting for alveolar clefts over a 10-year period (January 2009 to March 2019) with minimum 6-month follow-up. Fifty patients had postoperative CT evaluation; 37 did not. Interventions: Postoperative CT to determine ABG success, versus standard clinical examination and 2-dimensional radiographs. Main Outcome Measures: Requirement for revision ABG, defined as failure of the original graft by clinical or radiographic examination. Results: Fifty-eight percent of patients underwent a postoperative CT scan at median interval of 10 months after surgery. Patients with postoperative CT evaluation had a 44% rate of revision ABG (22/50) for inadequate graft take, compared to 5% (2/37) in patients without postoperative CT ( P < .001; 95% CT, 31%-58% in the CT group, 1%-16% in the non-CT group). Conclusions: Computed tomography evaluation after ABG is associated with a significantly increased revision rate for inadequate graft take. The presence of a secondary palatal fistula at the time of original ABG is not associated with revision requirement. Lack of standardized dental and orthodontic records complicates the study of ABG outcomes and presents an area for systems-based improvement.

scholarly journals Alveolar bone heights of maxillary central incisors in unilateral cleft lip and palate patients using cone-beam computed tomography evaluation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcin Stasiak ◽  
Anna Wojtaszek-Słomińska ◽  
Bogna Racka-Pilszak
Keyword(s):  
Computed Tomography ◽  
Cone Beam Computed Tomography ◽  
Cleft Lip ◽  
Cleft Lip And Palate ◽  
Alveolar Bone ◽  
Contralateral Side ◽  
Cone Beam ◽  
Rank Test ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Alveolar Bone Grafting

Abstract Purpose The aims of this retrospective cross-sectional study were to measure and compare labial and palatal alveolar bone heights of maxillary central incisors in unilateral cleft lip and palate patients, following STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) guidelines. Patients and methods The study group consisted of 21 patients with a mean age of 16 years. High-resolution cone-beam computed tomography was performed at least one year after secondary alveolar bone grafting. The experimental side was the cleft side and the contralateral side without congenital cleft was the control. Measurements were performed on incisors’ midsagittal cross-sections. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for intergroup comparisons. Results The labial and palatal distances between alveolar bone crests and cementoenamel junctions were significantly greater on the cleft side than on the noncleft side. Mean differences were 0.75 and 1.41 mm, respectively. The prevalence of dehiscences at the cleft side maxillary central incisors was 52% on the labial surface and 43% on the palatal surface. In the controls, it was 19% and 14%, respectively. Conclusion The cleft-adjacent maxillary central incisors had more apically displaced alveolar bone crests on the labial and palatal sides of the roots than the controls. Higher prevalence of dehiscences was found on the cleft side. Bone margin differences predispose to gingival height differences of the central incisors. These differences could increase the demands of patients to obtain more esthetic treatment results with orthodontic extrusion and periodontal intervention on the cleft side.

The Effects of Secondary Cleft Procedures on Alar Base Position and Nostril Morphology in Patients with Unilateral Clefts

2017 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 431-435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie M. Power ◽  
Damir B. Matic
Keyword(s):  
Bone Graft ◽  
Cleft Lip ◽  
Alveolar Bone ◽  
Nonparametric Tests ◽  
Single Stage ◽  
Base Position ◽  
Alar Base ◽  
Alveolar Bone Grafting ◽  
Tertiary Center ◽  
Long Term Follow Up

Objective To compare effects of secondary cleft procedures on alar base position and nostril morphology. Design Retrospective review. Setting Multidisciplinary cleft clinic at tertiary center. Patients, Participants Seventy consecutive patients with unilateral clefts were grouped according to secondary procedure. Interventions Alveolar bone graft versus total lip takedown with anatomic muscle repair versus single-stage total lip with cleft septorhinoplasty (nose-lip) versus rhinoplasty alone. Main Outcome Measures Anthropometric measurements were recorded from pre- and postoperative photographs. Ratios of cleft to noncleft side were compared within and across groups pre- and postoperatively using parametric and nonparametric tests. Results Within the bone graft group, no differences were seen postoperatively in alar base position in long-term follow-up. The total lip group demonstrated greater symmetry at the alar base ( P < .001), increased vertical lip dimension ( P < .001), and decreased nostril height ( P = .004) postoperatively. Within the nose-lip group, increased vertical dimension and alar base support ( P < .001) were also seen postoperatively. Across groups, the single-stage nose-lip group demonstrated greatest alar base symmetry on worm's-eye view ( P < .04). Conclusions Alar base asymmetry in patients with unilateral clefts may be related to soft tissue deficiency and was not affected by alveolar bone grafting. Total lip takedown with anatomic muscle reapproximation was associated with increased alar base symmetry and vertical lip dimension on cleft to noncleft side. Greatest symmetry at the alar base was seen following single-stage nose-lip reconstruction, which may be an effective technique for correcting the secondary cleft lip nasal deformity.

Long Term Effects of the Latham Presurgical Maxillary Orthopedic Appliance, Including Effects on Tooth Growth

2000 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel C Samson ◽  
Donald H Lalonde ◽  
Donald Fitzpatrick ◽  
Gerald L Sparkes
Keyword(s):  
Bone Grafting ◽  
Cleft Lip ◽  
Alveolar Bone ◽  
Consistent Difference ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Alar Base ◽  
Alveolar Bone Grafting ◽  
Base Elevation

Reported beneficial effects of presurgical maxillary orthopedics in cleft lip include reduction of the cleft width, alignment of the maxillary segments, elevation of the alar base on the cleft side, diminished need for alveolar bone grafting and lip closure without tension. Possible adverse effects of presurgical maxillary orthopedics include tooth root damage and inability of periosteoplasty to make bone over the cleft. A series of wide cleft lip patients (n=15) treated with the Latham appliance at the time of lip closure were retrospectively compared with a similar group treated without the Latham appliance. The Latham appliance group (seven unilateral clefts, eight bilateral clefts; mean follow-up 9.5 years; range four to 18 years) was treated between the years 1980 and 1994. None of the 15 patients treated with the appliance had any tooth loss or damage attributable to the pins, and bone formation in the alveolar cleft was observed radiographically in all 13 of the patients who had a periosteoplasty at the time of lip repair, possibly obviating the need for secondary bone grafting. Five of these Latham group patients demonstrated clinical and radiographic evidence of tooth eruption into the periosteoplasty-formed bone. There was no consistent difference in the level of nasal alar base elevation in the two groups.

An Evaluation of a Noninvasive Method of Assessing Alveolar Bone Levels in an Experimental Model of Cleft Lip and Palate

1998 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert B. Lawson ◽  
Malcolm. L. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Direct Measurement ◽  
Cleft Lip ◽  
Cleft Lip And Palate ◽  
Alveolar Bone ◽  
Measurement Techniques ◽  
Membrane Thickness ◽  
Ultrasound Technique ◽  
Measuring Device ◽  
Alveolar Bone Grafting ◽  
Mucosal Thickness

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate an ultrasound mucous-membrane-thickness-measuring device as a noninvasive, nonionizing alternative to radiography in the assessment of alveolar bone grafting. Design This was a prospective experimental study on porcine cadaver models. Method An ultrasound technique (Krupp SDM) was assessed ex vivo on three specially developed porcine cadaver models in comparison to radiography and ridge-mapping. Direct measurement of the mucosal thickness provided a standard for comparison. In each model, 30 measurement sites were identified for comparison of the techniques. Results All measurement techniques demonstrated clinically acceptable re-producibility. Of the clinical measurement techniques, radiography proved to be the most reliable, showing a small, nonsignificant statistical difference from direct measurement. Both the ultrasound technique and ridge-mapping showed significant tendencies to underestimate mucosal thickness that became greater with increasing mucosal thickness. At sites where mucosal thickness was less than 6 mm, the ultrasound technique underestimated mucosal thickness by 0.6 mm on average. At sites where mucosal thickness exceeded 6 mm, ultrasonic artifacts rendered the ultrasound technique unreliable. Conclusion The ultrasound technique could prove to be a useful clinical adjunct to radiography in the assessment of alveolar bone grafts, but in this particular application, care should be taken when using it to assess deeper alveolar defects.

Reliability of the SWAG—The Standardized Way to Assess Grafts Method for Alveolar Bone Grafting in Patients with Cleft Lip and Palate

2017 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 680-686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Russell ◽  
Ross E. Long ◽  
John Daskalogiannakis ◽  
Ana Mercado ◽  
Ronald Hathaway ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cleft Lip ◽  
Cleft Lip And Palate ◽  
Alveolar Bone ◽  
Intrarater Reliability ◽  
Root Coverage ◽  
Treatment Protocols ◽  
Retrospective Comparison ◽  
Alveolar Bone Grafting ◽  
Outcome Comparison ◽  
Better Than

Objective The objective of this study was to test a new method, a Standardized Way to Assess Grafts (SWAG), to rate alveolar bone graft (ABG) outcomes for patients with cleft lip and palate. Design This was a retrospective comparison using the SWAG scale. Setting This study took place in four cleft palate centers with different treatment protocols. Methods A total of 160 maxillary occlusal radiographs taken 3 to 18 months post-ABG for sequentially treated patients with cleft lip and palate were assessed using the SWAG scale. Radiographs were scanned, standardized, blinded, and rated by 6 calibrated orthodontists to assess vertical thirds, bony root coverage, and complete bony fill. All radiographs were rated twice, 24 hours apart, by the same raters. Main Outcomes Intra- and interrater reliabilities were assessed. Results Intrarater reliability was good to very good (.760; .652–.834), and interrater reliability was moderate to good (.606; .569–.681), comparable to previously published methods. Conclusions Rater reliabilities were shown to be comparable to or better than existing methods. The SWAG method was validated for ABG assessments in the mixed and permanent dentitions based on reliabilities in an intercenter outcome comparison.

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